When the compilation album Wanted! The Outlaws was released in 1976, it became country music’s first million-selling record and made huge stars of Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson. Jessi Colter was already a big star because of her big #1 hit “I’m Not Lisa”. But why did Tompall Glaser never find the big success his fellow Outlaws did? Why wasn’t Tompall able to ride the Outlaw momentum to become one of the biggest names in country music?

A recently-released biography on Tompall Glaser called The Great Tompall: Forgotten Country Music Outlaw finally looks to tell the life story of one of the most important figures in the history of country music, but one of the most forgotten. Because Tompall’s impact was mostly felt behind-the-scenes, he arguably has never received proper credit for how he revolutionized country music in the mid 70’s with his renegade studio that broke the major label monopoly on country, and allowed creative freedom to finally reign in Nashville.

The new book, written by blood relative Kevin Glaser who is the nephew of Tompall, includes many interviews with important country music figures from today and from the time of Tompall’s greatest influence; people like Kinky Friedman, “Cowboy” Jack Clement, and Marty Stuart. Kevin Glaser also speaks to influential critic and professor Dave Hickey who spent significant time at Glaser Studios in Nashville during the height of the Outlaw movement. In the new biography, Hickey helps explain why Tompall never became as famous as his Outlaw brothers while painting a picture of what the Glaser Sound Studios were like.

From “The Great Tompall”:

Hickey first came to Nashville with an assignment to write a book about Waylon and Willie. He never got around to it since he existed in a “fog of cocaine and dope” during his time at Glaser Sound Studios. He considers the time he spent there as a “studio internship,” and mentioned that because he lived two blocks away, he would sometimes sleep in the studio.

Dave Hickey

According to Hickey, “Glaser Sound Studio became ‘ground zero’ for the Outlaw Movement (a phrase that Dave claims to have coined), due to the fact that people like Tompall, Waylon, Willie and Neil Reshen were there during this time. This was the moment that country music artists discovered that they didn’t need to ask Chet Atkins’ permission before they could go to the bathroom. The old-time studio system (Acuff-Rose, etc.) could be bypassed. Everyone took control of their own destiny. They had their own publishing companies, studios, managers, etc. They weren’t beholden to record companies or to Billy Sherrill’s idea of what a good song was.”

In Hickey’s mind, the “Rebellious Center of Nashville” during this time included Roger Miller, John Lomax, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Billy Joe Shaver, Tompall, Billy Swan, and Kinky Friedman, among others. However, Tompall was the “improviasrio of the scene” and the scene was very valuable to a great many people. Tompall was a force to be reckoned with, and he was willing to take chances. A lot of studio time was provided pro bono and involved experimental types of activities…

Hickey said that drugs were the culture of this time period (pre-1985). Glaser Studios certainly wasn’t a “drug alley,” but drugs were certainly there. Tompall got into cocaine later in his career, but he (Hickey) doesn’t think that Tompall was into speed the way Willie and Waylon were. Waylon once said that “speed is pot for people who have to work two shifts per day.” Hickey also remembers that a professional cleaning company once came in to clean up all the smoke from pot and cigarettes that had become attached to the underside of the studio soundboard….

In Hickey’s opinion, Tompall didn’t become as well known as Waylon and Willie because “the obligation of having the recording studio created somewhat of a burden for Tompall, and he was not willing to leave and go on the road for eight weeks and live in a bus, etc. It just wasn’t his thing … and that is the thing that makes performers successful. However, Tompall seemed to be comfortable with the way things were.” Also, Hickey felt that Tompall wasn’t really comfortable with the place he found in the group that included Waylon, Willie, and Kris Kristofferson. There there is a tragedy to the story of Tompall, maybe this is it. Hickey compared Tompall’s place in this group to Bill Wyman’s place in the Rolling Stones, opposite of Keith Richards and Mick Jagger.

27 Comments

Cowboy Joe
July 19, 2014 @
11:02 am

An interesting figure and a talented one. I look forward to reading the book, but honestly, why wasn’t he as popular as Jennings or Nelson? Or Colter for that matter? Let’s be honest, his music is just nowhere near as compelling as theirs.

I agree, but I think it becomes a chicken and the egg argument. One of the reasons his music wasn’t as compelling is because he spent his time running a recording studio, and publishing company, and putting effort out to make sure Waylon and many others were able to live up to their full potential. He didn’t want to be a big star, he wanted to save country music so others could succeed. At least that’s what I gathered from the excerpt.

Well-reasoned, fair and something I thought of as well. But a true genius like Willie often reveals his greatest depth with his most unfussed-over recordings; albums that likely didn’t take all that much time and effort to create.

I will buy this book because I have always been interested in this period of music in Nashville and I have always enjoyed Tompall. However I don’t need anyone to explain why Tompall didn’t become as famous as Waylon or Willie.

I disagree with the idea that Waylon and Willie’s music was better than Tompall’s. It’s perfectly normal to say you like someone better than someone else, but it’s still just an opinion. I think a lot of times, people just say what they think they’re supposed to say. I happen to think that Tompall’s music was much better than Willie’s, because he had a prettier singing voice, and at least equal to Waylon’s. But I tend to judge music based on people’s vocals first, because that’s my favorite part of music.

That’s kind of strange, according to many books on different music genres which I’ve read-they all say that, as a rule, men tend to prefer the instrumental side of music more (that’s one reason why more men were prog rock fans, supposedly), and again, as a general rule, women prefer the vocal side more.

I assume that you two are males, saying you prefer the vocal side. I’m a female who, as a general rule, prefers instrumental prowess (one reason I favor bluegrass and prog rock, at least original prog, is the instrumental virtuosity found in those genres).

Also as a general rule, the more instrumental-oriented members of a band aren’t the frontmen, the “face” of the band. There are quite a few exceptions of course. Yet another general rule-the more instrumental-oriented genres aren’t as concerned with the looks (that’s not to say “image”, which is a different thing) of the members (which plays into young men’s hopes and dreams, I don’t doubt). If there’s a remotely good-looking (i.e., appealing to the chicks) guy in these bands, he’s often the vocalist/frontman.

The Great Tompall’s music was not as rock radio friendly as Waylon and Willie. He was, however, a pure vocalist and an amazing songwriter. I have never heard another singer who had such a way with a country lyric. He always had such emotion in his voice. You could always count on Tompall to have fiddles, steel guitars and dobros somewhere in his recordings. I once read that he loved country music and Nashville more than life itself. One day I hope he gets the recognition and respect he earned. Read his wonderful biography and judge for yourself. So many people owe him so much for their fame. Rest well, Outlaw. Your day will come. Your many loyal fans have your back until then!

While Tompall may have been a force behind the scenes ( which it sounds like), he simply didn’t have the “it factor” that Waylon and Willie had/have. His songwriting was great, but his singing was middle of the road, let’s face it.

I don’t think it’s any mystery as to why he wasn’t more famous – he wasn’t on par with Waylon and Willie. People can lament that he’s some kind of overlooked genius, but I don’t think that’s the case.

And not wanting to leave the studio and tour when you’re a musician? That’s pretty counterproductive. Wasn’t he also difficult to work with? He also pretty much dropped off the radar after the Outlaw movement subsided as well, didn’t he?

I love the Outlaw movement and the music they made, but Tompall’s contribution to the whole thing is going to be a source of debate for years to come. I’m not trying to be critical of the man, but some perspective is needed in looking at his contributions.

People also tend to look at artists differently and they take on an almost mythic quality once they’re gone.

I think before people judge Tompall as a singer or a performer, don’t forget his contributions with Tompall & The Glaser Brothers, considered one of the best singing groups in the history of country music, and had a big career much before the Outlaw movement started.

Oh, I don’t disagree that he was a solid musician, Trigger, but ultimately, for better or worse, he will be a footnote in country music history.

He was either unwilling or unable to take his career to the next level, and while it’s sad that’s the case, it remains that he will speculated about for a very long time. It’s admirable that he helped craft great music in the studio, but that’s where his contributions were, plain and simple. He’ll never be seen as one of the great country performers of all time next to his fellow Outlaws Waylon and Willie; that’s just a fact. I respect what he did, but personally, I don’t consider him in the same ballpark.

He was also in the company, both before the Outlaw movement and during the Outlaw movement, of other solid musicians, and they elevated each other’s game and in both instances created excellent work. It is also a game of speculation as to how he would have would have done on his own in both cases as well.

Middle of the road. I can think of quite a few better vocalists than TPG easily off the top of my head.

Look, the man was great in the studio, but in terms of performance, I simply don’t think a case can be made that he was one of the greats.

That being said, I’d take TPG over pretty much any of the current crop of popular nucountry performers right now. His knowledge of how to craft a song and what to do with it trump the bro country, idiotic nonsense that’s out there right now.

If anything, he serves as a reminder of what the craft of country music used to be.

I pretty much agree with most of what you said with the exception of Tompall as a singer. In my personal opinion, Tompall was the best country ballad singer ever. He was so much more than “Put Another Log On The Fire” (a great song). I spend a lot of time listening to him, whether it be on YouTube or my own personal collection. I love the music of Tompall and his brothers, as well as all of his solo stuff. I’ve never heard anyone quite like him, and I listen to a LOT of music. I like pure country music before country music was crap! I think his biography will open a lot of eyes about his contribution to giving artists control of their music, and the price he paid for that. He told writer Michael Bane ( “Outlaws: A Revolution In Country Music”) that he knew he wasn’t good enough to be very big, but he just wanted to be very good. I think he was more than “very good”, he was The Great Tompall.

A great voice doesn’t have to be a lead vocal… Listen to the backup vocals on Marty Robbins’ El Paso, and you will see what true great vocals are. Very few can imitate what the Glaser brothers did, even though they were not in the main spotlight. The harmonies those boys created will live forever.

I agree. Bobby Bare is a cool cat. Like Tompall, he’s one of those unsung legends who falls through the cracks. It seems like a lot of people who get into old country music only go as deep as Cash, Willie, and Waylon.

One thing I like about Bobby Bare is how he was basically the chief interpreter of Shel Silverstein songs over the years.

I have to side with Canuck. How many voices were as good or better than Waylon’s?… It’s a very short list. The cream rises to the top. Combine that voice with a stylistic sounding guitar and the ability to arrange a song as good or better than any other country music talent before, during or after his prime. Waylon even had established icons changing their sound to copy his. See Buck Owens, Merle Haggard, Paycheck even the killer Jerry Lee as examples who mimicked Waylon’s sound in that era. Nobody outworks Willie on the road, if being on the road “isn’t you thing” you have the answer to why TPG didn’t rise as high as W&W. He probably had those harsh realities come to mind often while he was on the other side of the glass doing what he did best. To give him proper credit, one could argue the outlaw movement could not have happened without him, his individual ability to bring the best out of people, the facility to do all that in and the likeability to make that facility the one everybody wanted to hang out in and be with. I wish talent today was held to the same standards.

The regrettable aspect of Tompall’s career is that most of us tend to not appreciate the extent to which he made his studio available to maverick people and maverick notions. Prior to today’s relatively inexpensive recording capabilities, studio time used to be hugely expensive. RCA and other corporate studios counted usage down to the minute and were reluctant to let “amateurs” take up time in the studio trying out musical ideas or making setup/playing errors that required additional studio time to correct. Studio musicians could be counted on to hit the required notes, maybe put an interesting hook into a riff, and pack up and get out on time. Tompall was much more forgiving, even considering that his studios were FOR experimentation. By simply relaxing the recording rules that dominated elsewhere, artistry was given freer reign.

This, certainly, Tompall will always have as his mark on the history of country music.